News from May 2024
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Following the U.S.-EU Trade & Technology Council Ministerial held in Belgium last month, the U.S. Department of State and the European Union’s External Action Service (EEAS) have launched a joint U.S.-EU Coordination Mechanism on the Western Balkans. This initiative is focused exclusively on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Arlington, Va. – Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning today commended the House Armed Services Committee for its Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) markup.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Today, Netflix published its second edition of "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report," capturing viewership data from July to December 2023. The report covers 99% of all viewing on the platform.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $25 million in funding aimed at reducing home energy costs for American families. This initiative, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will support 13 projects under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The funding is sourced from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and aligns with the Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to ensure that 40% of certain federal investments benefit disadvantaged communities.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
This full moon marks the celebration of Vesak, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. "I wish Buddhists across the globe who are celebrating a Happy Buddha Purnima."
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Facial recognition technology is being widely used at sporting events, according to a recent statement by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). Jake Wiener, counsel at EPIC, expressed concerns about the implications of this technology in such settings.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
FEMA Prepares for 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Joins NOAA for Annual Hurricane Outlook
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
In advance of the markup in the House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee today, several civil society organizations have sent a letter to House Commerce Chairs and members of the Innovation, Communications, and Technology Subcommittee. The letter expresses concerns regarding the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), H.R. 7891, as it is currently drafted.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Nelson W. Cunningham will be joining the U.S. Department of State as a Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. In this role, he will focus on several special projects, including encouraging greater private sector participation in overseas critical minerals projects, finding common ground among stakeholders on addressing plastics pollution, and developing a coherent framework for engaging with India on economic, energy, and environmental cooperation.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued a statement regarding the Senate vote on the Bipartisan Border Security Agreement on May 23, 2024.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
As the country approaches two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, and 97 years since the court determined the legality of forcible sterilization in Buck v. Bell, disabled people continue to face challenges to reproductive autonomy and equity.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that an open meeting of the Commission will be held virtually on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The meeting will commence at 1 pm ET and will begin with time for members of the public to address the Commission.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
On May 23, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated South Carolina’s redrawn congressional map, determining that it did not constitute unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The 6-3 opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito reversed a lower court ruling which had found that the plan illegally removed 30,000 Black voters to make the 1st Congressional District more favorable for a white Republican candidate.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights have released a webinar aimed at improving accessibility in school facilities for students and teachers with disabilities. The webinar, titled “Accessible Public Schools,” was developed in response to a 2020 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which highlighted significant accessibility barriers in K-12 public school buildings.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout:
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
On May 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final decision to deny Alabama’s application to manage coal ash landfills and impoundments through a federally approved state permit program. The EPA's review concluded that Alabama’s proposed program is significantly less protective of people and waterways than federal law mandates.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
On May 23, 2024, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter delivered remarks on a significant antitrust lawsuit filed against Live Nation-Ticketmaster. The United States, along with 30 state and district Attorneys General, initiated the lawsuit to address what they allege is monopolistic behavior by Live Nation-Ticketmaster in the live concert industry.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Reflections from Pastor John Cao is a series of poetry and writings from the recently released Chinese Christian prisoner of conscience, exclusively published by ChinaAid. The pieces below were written on May 17, 2024, and have been minimally edited for clarity. To read more of Pastor John Cao’s poetry, one can purchase the collection written while he was imprisoned, "Living Lyrics: Poems from Prison."
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, has sent a letter to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to oppose the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA). The bill is currently under review by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.
By Federal Newswire | May 23, 2024
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Absolics, an affiliate of Korea-based SKC, have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $75 million in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment aims to support the construction of a 120,000 square-foot facility in Covington, Georgia, and the development of substrates technology for semiconductor advanced packaging.
